Improvement in carpet-sweepers



FFIC

PATENT GEORGE S. NORRIS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARPET-SWEE'ERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,5 ll., datedJanuary 5, 1875; application iiled July 31, 1874.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE S. NOR-Ris, of the city and county ofBaltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain Improvements inSweeping-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexeddrawing, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view of a sweeper embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is avertical section through the casing, showing the iaps and rubbersprings; and Fig. 3 is a section showing construction of the radial armswhich support the fans and brushingbeaters.

My present invention is an improvement upon thesweeping-machine.patented to me March 12,1871, No. 112,837, and it seeksto make the improvement more efficient and practical, less liable toinjury', and more durable than heretofore constructed; and to this endmy improvements consist, first, in making the radial arms, which supportthe fan-floats and beaters or brushes, of leather or other elasticmaterial, mortised in the axle, so that they may not only be rmly heldto place, but that they ma-y yield and prevent breakage when the fans orbeaters are brought into contact with heavy or solid articles; secondly,in making the beaters of leather, whereby I avoid scraping oft' the napof the carpet; thirdly, in combining with the flaps or drop-pans adevice which not only gives them a gentle elastic downward pressureVupon the carpet, and permitting play, when required, for large articlesto be swept up and bagged, but which also hugs the carpet across thespace at the ends of the naps, and prevents the escape of dust;fourthly, in dispensing with the indiarubber ends for the case or boX,and substituting pasteboard, paper-board, artificially-made board, orother kindred cheap material, which, in connection with the above-nameddevice for giving the drop-pans a gentle downward pressure, at the sametime keeps the ends closed to the carpet when the case is raised by therollers passing over any article, and thereby preventing the escape ofthe dust.

It is unnecessary particularly to describe the well-known parts oftheapparatus or their operation. I shall, therefore, proceed to describe myimprovements, premising1 that A represents the case; lB, its end; O, theaxle or shaft which carries the rotary brushes and fa-n-iioats; D, theflapsor drop-pans; E, rollers on which the ca-se is mounted; F, the dustbag or receiver; G, the handle; H, the driving-crank and pulley, and Ithe cord or band from this pulley to the smaller pulley K on the shaft.The arms which support the lioats, beaters, or brushes are shown at l l,and I `make them of leather or other yielding or elastic material, suchthat While they are capable of giving Way somewhat to solid or heavyarticles, they sha-ll also spring back to position after passing oversuch objects. I secure these arms in the shaft as follows: I makemortises or slots 2 3 entirely through the shaft at right angles to eachother, and make the slot 3 somewhat broader than slot 2. The leather orother material is made of the proper width and thickness to lit the slot2, and long enough, when inserted in its slot, to

project through both sides of the shaft, and

thus form two opposite arms with its two ends. It is also notchedtransversely on one side, as shown at the center of its length, that itmay be locked by a similar notch cut in its fellow piece, which is to beplaced in the adjacent broader slot 3. rIhis slot 3 is made broader inorder to permit the piece of leather to be inserted without obstructionfrom the piece alreadyplaced in slot 2. hen properly drawn in, so thatthe notches of both pieces coincide, the piece in the broader notch isforced edgewise toward the other piece, to compel these notches tointerlock, and then they are secured against any possible dislocation byinserting plugs or wedges 4 in the unfilled portion of the slots 3.

It will now be evident that each piece locks and positively prevents theotherl from moving endwise, and that the plug prevents their unlocking.

The fans or beaters secured to the projecting arms of these yielding orspr-ing pieces have the capacity of yielding or springing accordingly.

The leather beaters 6 (of which one or more may be employed, as desired)I make, preferably, of a strip of leather, slitted up, as shown,

to resemble a fringe. It may be made of a single piece, or of a numberot' such strips secured together, and it may be made from any flexiblematerialother than leather, such as will not tend to scratch and scrapethe surface of the carpet, and wear away the nap.

The beaters 6 and oats 5`are both made adjustable on their arms, so thatthey may be set nearer to or farther from the shaft, as occasion mayrequire.

'Io insure that the drop flaps or pans D shall be gently but positivelypressed down upon the carpet, instead of merely dropping by gravity, Iemploy a yielding rubber, preferably a rubber tube, (shown at 7,)located just above the ends of the iiaps, and extending across the spacebetween these ends.` The efect of this construction is that the flapsare gently but yieldingly held close to the carpet, and the tube orelastic piece 7 itself' bears upon and hugs closely to the carpet at theends ot' the flaps, thus preventing the escape at those parts of any ofthe dust.

Instead of closing the ends B ofthe box, as heretofore, by sheet-rubber,I substitute pasteboard, or other kindred material, which, in connectionwith the tube or elastic piece 7, ex-

tending across and projecting below the lower edges of the end pieces,prevents the escape of dust when the case is raised from the carpet bypassage of the rollers over unequal surfaces.

What I claim as new in a sweeping-machine, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is as follows:

l. In combination with the shaft or axle, the leather or other elasticarms l l, for supporting the beaters or fans, mortised and secured inthe axle and locked to each other, substantially as shown and describeds2. rIhe beater or beaters 6, formed of leath- Y er or similar flexiblematerial, constructed and applied substantially as shown and described.

3. In combination with the drop iiaps or pans D, the elastic piece 7,applied substantially as described, and serving to press the apsdownward, and also to prevent the escape of dust.

4. In combination with 'the case, the pasteboard end pieces B, havingthe elastic pieces 7 applied to them, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

' G. S. NORRIS.

Witnesses:

EDWARD Voss, THos. I. CAREY.

